Minister presents cheque towards BNARI building

The Minister of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Major Courage Quashigah, has presented a cheque for 384.9 million cedis towards the completion of a tissue culture building for the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

Professor Owusu Bennoah, Acting Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), who presented the cheque on behalf of Maj. Quashigah, said the Agricultural Sub-sector Improvement Programme of the Ministry would also donate some computers and other office equipment to the institute.

He expressed the hope that the release of the cheque would be a breakthrough in getting the Tissue Culture Building project of the institute completed.

The BNARI, which undertakes research and development of nuclear agriculture and biotechnology, is specifically tasked with the improvement of crops and provision of high quality planting materials for farmers and the reduction of post-harvest losses by increasing the shelf life of agricultural produce.

The institute also sees to the protection of food and industrial crops and livestock against pests and diseases.

Professor John Amuasi, Director General of the GAEC, who received the cheque on behalf of the Commission, thanked the Ministry for its kind gesture.

He said that in spite of its potential contribution to the development of agriculture, the BNARI has no permanent building to do any meaningful research.

The situation, he said, was hampering the work of the Institute as its personnel are scattered in buildings of different institutes of the GAEC.

"It is for this reason that the government, in collaboration with the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission commenced the building of offices and laboratories for the institute in 1994."

Prof Amuasi said, however, that the project came to a halt because of lack of funds.

He said although the GAEC comes under the Ministry of Science and Environment, the MOFA had provided assistance for the completion of the building to supplement the budget of the sector ministry.

"This money has come at a time when GAEC has started to commercialise its activities for the provision of high quality planting materials like pineapples, plantain and banana," he stated.

Professor George Klu, Director, and Professor Albert Ayensu, Chairman of the BNARI, expressed their appreciation to the MOFA, saying the completion of the building would mean more research would be undertaken to meet farmers' needs.